The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-01-14

! -'HSS '' ihIH pace were started Oy noise
! on the cellar stairs which sounded Ike some
one walking around with one natural and
one artificial leg. The three individuals
domiciied in the house, being ladies' made
the night all the mere terrifying
1t was near midnight when the LADY of
the house got mp to stir a fire and above the
din and clatter made oy the poker she
. heard ker thump, ker thump, ker thump
/ coming up at the cellar stairs, a man with a
/ wooden leg and no mistake On tie top
platform be, or it. stopped aud all was still.
I Almost stunned with fear she stood for a
( moment and listened and then with up-lifU-
/ ed poker aroused her cOmpan on who
/ had been souudiy sleeping through it all,
/ unconscious of the GhosUy visitation o.
/ night maTauder iu the house. After ogief
explanation and consultation tue two set
/ out to search tho house. Each with q lamp
in hand and one with poker aud the other
Ratchet they cautiously examined every
nook and corner ia the house. but no trace
. Of the person OF ching could be found. They
Weakened The third person and asked her if
she had been up walking around but she
replied iu lie negative Tie $50 went
back TO .heiT room So gf.d that no person
bad made the noise and i5 must have been
some one walking outside on the icy pave
ment which. in the perfect stiffness echoed
Ia the house and wss colored somewhat by
combined nervousness and vivid imagina-
ton
They bad Just concluded thar it was moth
ing to be excited about when ker tnump,
ker thUmp, ker. thump again resounded
through the house, so plainly that there was
no denying the reality Of the noise or doubt
about its location. As soon as they could
recover sufficient breath they called the
third lady TO their rescue, but she had not
gotten into the room when the terrifying
noise was repeated as before, but this time
seemingly coming much nearer and some
thing l0uder.
Armed with poker. Ratchet and monkey
wrench the three braveIv marched forth
determined 90 conquer or die. II it were a
living man they would quarter him with the
hatchets bavOUet him With the poker and
twist every joint in his body ont Of shane
with the monkey. wrench but that his ranta-
lizinr and h0rTifying limpy-co-feteH-it noise
should be stopped. This time they
made thorough search and stiU fosrd
nothing and they then concluded it was not
p human being aud wondered if might be
such -hinCs as ghosts.
Mystityed and chagrinued they retreatcd
TO theiI room aud listened. Horrors
Louder than ever the wooden legged some
thing made ifs approach, this time almost
coming to their room door, then it seemed TO
retreat more quietly and az in returned.
ann now vas coming and going at short in
teTva's, sometimes stamping very heavily
and again walking uore softly. Had Mickey
smith not escaped the gauows the noise
might have been attributed 10 a rovisitatfon
of his restless spirit But none Of the three
believed in ghosts. hohgOb Iins OF any other
airy, noisy nothings and consequently they
thought it could hardly be a ghost but
what is it? It is something, we are all wide
awake and We all three hear the same noise
at the same time aud it sounds The same 70
each of Us and therefore it must he some
thing natural OF supernatural, for IT Is not
possible for Us all to ne deceived One Of
Us alone might labor under some haUucina-
tiou Of mind and be deceived, but for all
three to be deceived at the same time and in
the same way would be out Of the ques-
tIor''
Thus they reasoned and then each one
pirched herself TO be snre she was alive,
after which they resolved on another OK
n'"riHE EXPEDITION, for The ker thump, keT
thump. ker thump continued at regular in
leI'aI' ana the mingled fear and suspense
was becoming uLbearable.
Re clnching their wee pons they cautions /
Is and softly Tip tood their way towards the
ton OF the cellar stairs determined to come I
'' '." -1'sls or whatever I5 was so quick
.h'1 .hzy would p-Talyz' him on the spot. .
lneV. ~ HreAth'ess suspense weudod their
VIZ towards the objective point and listened. +.
iAey heard him Quietly and quickly they
opened the docr-nothing was there. Once I
more, uCa-p gs5e.i, they gazeG upon each
1ta=r in silent auazeuert. \ paper sack T
Do which potatoes bad been put that day F.
.t.o5 on tra-p'atFalm l.uale Of feet from
fc top stair: bic hole t.ad been es ten i'm
ha 7ck by The big Norway rat that had been /
.een on previors occasions nearly all the .
'otatoes were gone: one large potato iay
md way between The sack and TOP stair.
Mystery, fear and The ghost vanished, This
BIG ra, with its tail wrapped around a pota.